SmithGroup, one of the nation’s largest integrated design firms, has hired Hans Thummel, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, to lead the Science & Technology studio at its Chicago office. Thummel will be responsible for mentoring the office’s established team of science and technology experts and accelerating the growth of its research-focused client base in Chicago and the Midwest.

For over 35 years, Thummel has led highly technical and complex projects for a range of clients with distinctive operational, cultural and architectural goals. His broad design expertise, ability to communicate effectively across disciplines, and passion for sustainability have resulted in high-performing and award-winning solutions for a long list of clients, including the University of South Carolina, College of DuPage, Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, AT&T, W.W. Grainger, Northern Trust Bank, and the United States General Services Administration and Department of Homeland Security. Notable projects celebrated for exceptional design include the $59 million, 135,000-sqare-foot Advanced Materials Lab for Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio; 175,000-square-foot Crate & Barrel corporate headquarters in Northbrook, Ill.; design services for Phase 1 of the 35-story, 1.43-million-square-foot Blue Cross/Blue Shield headquarters tower in Chicago, Ill.; and the 32,000-squre-foot Center for Inquiry and Design for Shanghai American School in Puxi, China.

Thummel makes the move to SmithGroup from Perkins + Will, where he served as an associate principal and senior project architect at the firm’s Chicago office. The move bolsters expansion of the company’s science and technology practice in the region.

“Our team has a rich history delivering exceptional design solutions for clients in the science and technology market,” said Tim Tracey, director of the firm’s Chicago office. “This success stems from our passion for discovery and interdisciplinary exploration of ideas, which mirrors how our clients approach their own work. Hans’ strong technical expertise, his diverse experience designing high-performing buildings, and his commitment to providing quality service will be pivotal to accelerating the growth of our S&T studio.”

R&D clients in this region include Argonne National Laboratory, Astellas Research Institute of American Inc., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Loyola University Center for Translational Research and Education, and Promega Corp. In addition, the office is charged with leading a global team of interdisciplinary specialists in the design and delivery of the Wanxiang Group’s Wanxiang Innova City in Hangzhou, China. Envisioned as the world’s most advanced smart city, this 4.4-million-square-foot manufacturing campus is the first of a multi-phase project that will be the catalyst for continued future development in the region.

Thummel will work in close collaboration with experts from across SmithGroup’s national Science & Technology Practice. Directed by Ed Burton, RIBA, this group has delivered complex, award-winning laboratory and research environments for some of the nation’s most advanced scientific institutions, including Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the National Institute of Standards & Technology, the National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

“Our clients are innovators in their fields, taking on challenges that often take years to solve,” says Burton. “Hans is a forward-thinking strategist and will work with clients to create dynamic, adaptable environments that will spur research for decades.”

Thummel earned a Master of Architecture from University of Virginia after graduating from Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts in architecture. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects, the U.S. Green Building Council, Urban Land Institute, and the Building Enclosure Council.